Bengaluru, Oct 23 Polling for four Karnataka Legislative Council seats began on Friday, in which the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP-JD(S) alliance are facing off.
The contest is seen as a test for the BJP-JD(S) coalition’s coordination and the ruling party’s support base among graduates and teachers.
Voting that began at 8 am will go on till 4 pm. The counting of votes is scheduled for October 27.
The four constituencies going to the polls are South-East Graduates’, West Graduates’, North-East Teachers’ and Bengaluru Teachers’.
The BJP has fielded candidates in the first three constituencies, while its ally JD(S) is contesting the Bengaluru Teachers’ seat.
In the South-East Graduates’ constituency, Congress candidate Shashi Hulikunte Mutt will take on BJP’s K M Suresh. In the West Graduates’ constituency, Congress nominee Mohan Limbikai will face sitting BJP MLC S V Sankanur.
In the North-East Teachers’ constituency, Congress candidate Sharanappa Mattur will contest against BJP’s sitting MLC Shashil G Namoshi. In Bengaluru Teachers’, Congress MLC Puttanna will face JD(S) candidate A P Ranganath.
The BJP currently holds three of the four seats and is seeking to retain them, while the JD(S) aims to wrest the Bengaluru Teachers’ constituency from the Congress. The elections will test whether the two alliance partners can transfer their support to each other’s candidates.
The Bengaluru contest is significant as Puttanna had switched from the JD(S) to the Congress ahead of the last Assembly elections. Both Puttanna and Ranganath belong to the Vokkaliga community.
The Congress is seeking to retain its lone seat and make gains in the other constituencies.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president B K Hariprasad, ministers and senior party leaders have campaigned across the constituencies.
Though the results are not expected to affect the stability of the state government, a strong showing by the Opposition alliance could provide it with political ammunition against the Congress government, which came to power in 2023.
The 75-member Legislative Council currently has 38 Congress members, 24 from the BJP, six from the JD(S), one Independent and Chairman Saleem Ahmed. Five seats earmarked for government nominations are vacant.
The Congress is expected to increase its strength when the vacancies are filled, limiting the impact of the election results on the overall balance of power in the House.
(PTI News)
